having Cisco authorized content providers with re-certification requirements validate the credits submitted by an individual. Relevance to real-world situations Regarding a new approach to networking with software-defined networking, there are some critics about CCIE certifications that challenge corner-case scenarios of written and lab exams. However, the principle of networking is still the same regardless of whether a router or a switch is a physical device or just a piece of software, the fundamental networking operations remain the same in the real-world internetworking. CCIE holders are still relevant to the software-defined networking era. See also CCNA CCNP Cisco certifications References Career Certifications Information technology qualifications